Cutting apparatus



Aug. 13, 1940- J. ANDERSON CUTTING APPARATUS Filed April 11, 1939 2Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR 04-4974.

BY ATTORNEY Aug. 13, 1940. .1. 1.. ANDERSON CUTTING APPARATUS FiledApril 11.' 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Y w INVENTOR f ATTORNEY Patented Aug.13, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT 0 FFICE CUTTING APPARATUS James L.Anderson, Closter, N. J., assignor to Air Reduction Gompany,Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York.

Application April 11, 1939, Serial No. 267,301

13 Claims.

gen cutting torches.

One of the useful applications of oxygen cutting has been thesimultaneous production of duplicate pieces by guiding a number ofcutting torches from a single tracing device or templatefollower: In-auniversal cutting machine that has a, folding parallelogram frame with asupporting bar that moves parallel changing directions in a to itself inany and plane, a. tracer is attached at one place on the'bar, and anumber of torches are attached to the bar at spaced regions.

along the length of the bar. The distance between torches depends uponthe size of the pieces to be cut, and the torch-holders can be shiftedon the bar to change their spacing.

It is an object of this invention to provide improved apparatus forsimultaneously adjusting a number of torches from a single adjustingdevice whichis preferably manually operated, but may be power operated.One feature of the invention is the adjustment of the torches from adevice which is located at a fixed point and unaffected by changesin thespacing of the torches from the fixed point or from each other.

While intended primarily for universal cutting machines, the inventionis not limited to such machines, and some features of the invention arenot limited to multiple cutting. For example, the adjustment of a torch,which can be shifted into different positions, from a control devicethat remains in a fixed location, is a feature than can be incorporatedin a single-torch machine. The invention includes also a, noveltorch-holder construction.

In its broader aspects, therefore, it may be said that it is an objectof the invention to provide improved apparatus for holding atorch andfor adjusting a torch toward and from a work-piece. I Other objects,features and advantages of the invention will appear or be pointed outas the specification proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings, forming pa hereofz' Fig. 1 is a top planview of a universal cutting machine embodying this invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view, partly in section, of

one of the torch-holders and the remote adjusting mechanism-of Fig. 5.

.Flg. 3 is a side view of one of the torch-holders shown in Fig. 2. Fig.4 is a sectional vie of Fig. 3.

takenon the line a folding parallelogram frame having a, bar IIsupported at the front end of jointed arms I! 5 and I3. These jointedarms are connected by pivots I5 and It to the stationary frame ll of thecutting machine. A cross link 20 between the arms l2 and i3 forms withthe bar II and the forward links of the arm the folding parallel- 10ogram of the supporting frame. The front bar II has universal movementin the plane of the paper, and it always moves parallel to itself sothat all points on the bar It follow similar paths of movement.

There are four torch-holders 2l2l clamped to the bar II at equallyspaced points along the bar. A tracer 26 is clamped to the bari I, nearone end, and any path that this tracer follows on a pattern isreproduced by a, torch 21 in each of the torch-holders ii-24. In thisway four pieces, identical with the pattern, can be cut from a plate inone operation.

At the start of the cut eachtorch has to be moved into cutting relationto the work, and at the end of the cut the torches have to be liftedaway from the work. There is mechanism in each torch-holder fo'r raisingand lowering the torch with respect to the work-piece, and this raisingand lowering mechanism of all of the torch-holders can ,be operated bythe rotation of l a rod 30 that extends parallel to the front bar II.The rod 30 is rotated by an adjusting device 3|.

The adjusting device 3| is preferab y clamped to the bar I I and can belocated at various points along the bar, but when this device has beenclamped in position it ordinarily remains fixed and the torch-holders 24can be shifted into any locations and set at any spacing within thelimits of the length of the rod 30 which, in the illustrated embodimentof the invention, comprises the motion transmitting connection'betweenthe adjusting device 3| and each of the torch-holders 2l-24. The spacingat which the torches must be set is determihed by the greatestdimension, in 45 5 direction parallel to the bar n, of the pieces to rbe cut. Torch spacing much in excess of that dimension leavesunnecessary waste. when pieces corresponding to a new pattern are tobecut, therefore, it is often advantageous to change the spacing of thetorch-holders.

Figs. 2 and 3 show'the construction of the torch-holder. The othertorch-holders 22- are of similar construction. A bracket 34 fitsoverthebar ll andcanbeclampedinanyset location along the-bar by aclamping screw 35. A lock nut 35 is provided for holding the clampingscrew tight. when theclamping screw 35 is released, the bracket 34 canbe moved freely along the bar The front side of the bracket 34 isrecessed to receive a slide 39 (Fig. 2). Plates 39 fastened to thebracket 34 by screws 45 overlap the edges of the recess and form withthe recess a vertical guideway for the slide 35.

The lower end of the slide 38 is a split clamp 42 in which is asubstantially circular opening for receiving a stud 43 of a swivelbracket 44. The split clamp 42 has a screw 45 which is used to draw theclamp against the stud 43 and hold the stud against turning. A pointer45 on the swivel bracket 44 moves along a graduated shoulder 41 andindicates the inclination of the swivel'bracket about the axis of thestud 43. The swivel bracket 44 can be moved into different angularpositions for inclining the torch for bevel cutting.

A torch'clamp 49 is connected with the swivel bracket 44 by pivots 55that thread through opposite arms of a yoke of the swivel bracket andextend into bosses 5| of the torch clamp 49. The axes of the pivots 55are in the same plane as the axis of the stud 43. A' pointer 53 (Fig. 3)on the torch clamp 49 registers with a mark 54 on the swivel bracket 44when the torch 21 is normal to the plane of the axes of the stud 43 andpivots 55.

A ake 55 at the top of the torch clamp 49 is pivotally connected with alink 55, and a bifurcated end of thelink 55 is connected with a shortlink 58 by a bolt 59 that has a wing nut 55 whichcan be tightened toclamp the bifurcated ends of the link 55 against the short link 59 andprevent relative movement of the links 55 and 59. The short link 58 isjoined to the swivel bracket .44 by a pivot 5|, but when the nut 55 istightened to clamp the links 55 and 55 against movement, the torch clamp49 and the swivel bracket 44 form a rigid unit, just as if the links 55'and 59 were replaced with asingle link. By changing the angular relationof the links 55 and 59, however, the torch clamp 49 can be held insloping positions for bevel cutting, if desired.

The torch clamp 49 is a split clamp and has screws 53 at'both its upperand lower ends for squeezing the clamp against the torch 21. This clamp49 is not ordinarily used to grip the torch tightly, but merely tdgripit with sufilcient friction so that the torch will not slide in theclamp unless some force is applied to the torch to make it move. 1

The torch 21 has a rack 55 along one side, and this rack slides in akeyway 55 in the torch clamp 49 and prevents the torch from turning inthe p. A pinion 51 is secured to a shaft 59 that turns in bearings inthe torch clamp. The shaft 58 is rotated by a knob 59. The pinion mesheswith the rack 55 so that the'torch can be raisedbecause a key I2 securedto'the pinion extendsv into a keyway .13 in the rod. The key I2 fltsloosely in the keyway and does not interfere with relative movement ofthe pinion II and rod 35 lengthwise of the rods Other expedients can beused to cause the rod and pinion to rotate togather while leaving themfree for relative movement lengthwise of the rod. The construction shownis in its broadest aspects a rod of noncircular cross-section passingthrough an opening of non-circular section in the pinion.

The pinion 1| is held against endwise movement with respect to thebracket 34 by a shoulder of the bracket at the left-hand side of thepinion (Fig. 2) and a bushing 15 at the righthand end of'the hub of thepinion. The pinion hub is considerably longer than the teeth of thepinion so that the key 12 can be long enough to slide in the keyway 13without cooking and binding. The bushing I5 is held in the bracket 34 bya set-screw 15.

Figs. 2 and 5 show the construction .of the adjusting device 3|. Abracket 19 fits on the bar ii and is clamped at a chosen location on thebar by a clamping screw I9. The rod 35 extends into the bracket 19, andthere is a worm wheel keyed on the rod 35 by a key 9| which ispreferably a sliding fit in the keyway 13.

A worm 93, best shown inFig. 5, is secured to a vertically extendingshaft 94 that turns in bearings in the bracketand extends upward abovethe top of the bracket. A hand-wheel 95 is fastened to the upwardlyextending end of the shaft 94. Rotation of the hand-wheel 55 turns theworm 93 and through it the worm wheel 95, the rod 35, and the pinion 1|(Fig. 2) in the torchholder 2|. The rod 35 turns similar pinions in allof the brackets Il- -24 and causes the slide 38 and the correspondingslides of the other torchholders to move up or down, depending upon the.direction of rotation of the rod, to adjust all of the torchessimultaneously.

The worm 93 has a slow pitch so that the worm gearing of the adjustingdevice 3| is irreversible, and therefore serves to hold the torches inany set position above the work by preventing the weight of the torchesand the movable structure associated with them from rotating the rod 35.

Before the torchw can be effectively moved toward and from the work as aunit by turning the hand-wheel 95 of the adjusting device 3 I, it isnecessary that each of the touches be adjusted individually to cause itto be at the same distance from the work as the other torches for anygiven angular position of the rod 35 and its operating mechanism. Theknob 53, the rack 55, and pinion 51 provide mechanism for the individualadjustment of the torch in the holder 2|, and similar structure of theothertorch-holders permits their torches to be adjusted with respect toeach other.

There is a flange 91 attached to each end of the rod 35 by a screw.These flanges prevent the .rod 35 from beingdisplaced lengthwise farenough to move it out of any of the brackets through which it passes. Ifthe torch-holder 2| is located closer to the adjusting device 3| thanshown in Fig. 1, then the rod 35 will project at one or both ends fromthe brackets and will have and play, but this does not in any wayinterfere with the operation of the invention. If it is desirable tospread the torch-holders 3|24 and the adjusting device 3| along the barH for a distance greater than the length of the rod 35, then a longerrod is substituted for the rod 35.

The preferred embodiment of the invention has been described but changesand modifications work-can be obtained by moving the work in- 7 meansassociated with each torch-holder for 1 raising or lowering a torch inthe holder with respect to said frame, motion-transmitting connectionscarried by the supporting frame and extending between the adjustingmeans of the respective torch-holders and adapted tocause commonmovement of all of the adjusting means, and

an adjusting device for operating said motioirtransmitting connections.

2. In a machine for making a number of similar andsimultaneous cuts bymeans of a pin rality of separatetorches carried by a frame that issupported for universal movement in a plane along a predetermined courseduring a cutting operation, the'improvement of a single adjusting devicelocated on the movable frame, and connecting means extending from saiddevice to each of the torches to eflect equal and simultaneousadjustment of the respective torches in response to movement of saidadjusting device.

3. A universal cutting machine including a plurality of separatetorch-holders, supporting means that cause all of the torch-holders tomove along similar paths in any and changing directions in a plane,adjustment means associated With each torch-holder for moving a torch inthe holder with respect to said supporting means and toward and from thework, and a common operating device connected withthe adjustment meansof all of the torch-holders.

{1. In a universal cutting machine of the class wherein a plurality oftorch-holders are located at spaced regions along the front bar of afolding parallelogram supporting frame, and each of the torch-holdersincludes means for raising and lowering a torch in the holder withrespect to the front bar to change the spacing of the torch from thework, the combination with said torch-holders of a rod extendinglengthwise of said front bar and-operatably connected with the torchraising and lowering means of each torch-holder. and manually actuatedmeans by which the bar is rotated in onedirection to cause all of thetorches to rise simultaneously and in the other direction to causesimultaneous lowering of all of the torches.. L l

5. A multiple-torch cuttingmachine including a supporting framesupported for universal movement in a plane, torch-holders located atspaced regions on the supporting frame, a pinion in each torch-holdercooperating with a rack that con-' nects with the torch' to raise andlower said torch with respect to the supporting frame,-a rod extendingbetween all of said torch-holders and operatably connected with thepinions in all of the, torch-holders, so that rotation of the rod ro-'tates all of the pinions through equal angles, and apparatus on theuniversally movable supporting framefor rotating the shaft and'forholding the shaft against rotation when in set position.

6. A multiple torch cutting machine including a supporting frame,torch-holders located at spaced regions on the supporting frame, apinion in each torch-holder cooperating with a rack that connects withthe torch to raise and lower said torch with respect'to the supportingframe, a rod extending through the pinions of the respectivetorch-holders, and means for rotating the rod to along the frame,adjusting means on the torchholder for raising and lowering a torchcarried by the holder, an adjustment control device fixed on the frameof the cutting machine, and a connection between the adjustment means onthe torch-holder and said control device for transmitting motion of thecontrol device tothe adjust ing means, said adjustment means on thetorchholder being slidable along said connection so that the location ofsaid connection with respect to the frame remains the same when thetorchholder is in different locations along the frame. 8.- A universalcutting machine comprising a .supporting bar, a torch-holder movablealong the bar andhaving means for holding it in any set location on thebar, apinion in the torch-holder in position to cooperate with a rackthat is connected with a torch carried bythe holderto raise and lowerthe torch, a wheel supported by the bar, and .a connection betweensaid'wheel and pinion including a shaft extending lengthwise of the barandfreely fitting through a noncircular opening in the pinion andoperably connected with the wheel.

9. A universal cuttingmachine comprising a supporting bar, atorch-holder movable along the bar and having means for holding it inany set location on the bar, a pinion in the torch-holder in position tocooperate with a rack that is connected with a torch carried by theholder to .raise and lower the torch, a rod extending lengthwise of thebar and through the pinion, saidrod being slidable lengthwise in thepinion but having a non-circular cross-section so that rotation of therod rotates the pinion, a worm-wheel on the rod at aregion remote fromthe pinion, and actuating means supported at a given location on the barincluding a slow-pitch worm meshing with the worm-wheel, anda-wheel forturning the worm.

holders, a supporting frame that causes all of the torch-holders to moveat the same time and v in the same direction in a plane parallel to awork-piece, said torch-holders being independently movable on thesupporting frame to change their spacing with respect to each other, asingle adjusting device at a fixed location on the supporting frame, arod extending from said adjusting device to all of the torch-holders,each of said torch-holders being movable along the rod when moved on thesupporting frame, and means on eachtorch-holder, operated by said rod,to raise and lower a torch carried by the holder.

11. A'cutting machine comprising a supporting frame, a plurality oftorch-holders on the frame and movable to change their spacing withrespect to each other, means on each torch-holder for raising andlowering a torch carried by the holder, a single adjusting device at afixed-location on the cutting machine, and connections, from theadjusting device to the torch raising and lowering means of all of thetorch-holders, said torch-holders being freely movable with respect viceand the raising and lowering means of the torch-holders.

12. A torch-holder comprising a supporting portion for connection withacutting machine, a bracket having a swivel connection with thesupporting portion, a torch clamp connected with the swivel bracket bypiv'ots the axes of which extend at right angles to the'axis of saidswivel connection, and. link means between the bracket and torch clampfor holding them against relative movement.

and other apparatus connected with each holder,

and operable to shift all of the torches as a unit toward andfrom thework-piece.

JAMES L. ANDERSON.

